After Hours
by Sweet.Longing
Summary: A knife between the ribs, a silent bystander, and an unexpected murderer. What will you do to survive when the person who’s after you is determined to see you 6 feet under? “This time, Sasuke-kun; there will be no evidence.”


Heyo

_Heyo! This is my first attempt at a story. I hope you enjoy!_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!

**Chapter 1 – the beginning**

The bitter hot liquid slid down her throat, warming her innards and causing her to shudder. It burned her tongue and made her taste buds cringe, but she didn't care. At the moment, it was her life line; the life jacket that was keeping her afloat. She needed to have her senses, and just because she was physically and mentally tired, didn't deter the point that she had a job to get to; that could make or break her career. Taking another swallow she resisted the urge to blanch. God, how she hated the stuff, but thankfully it was chasing away her obliviousness, opening her droopy emerald eyes, and replacing her tired self with what she would only describe as a fake adrenaline rush…

She was beginning to understand why people drank the thick liquid. It was nasty, but it woke whoever was drinking it up and gave them the illusion that they were ready for whatever the world was going to throw at them. Truthfully, it was playing you; but sometimes, it was nice living in denial. She was beginning to think so.

Although the coffee was growing on her, she knew she wouldn't want it as a life line everyday. She missed sleeping in her cushy, double bed and gaining the blissful eight hours of sleep that left her refreshed and ready for when the sun decided to rise over the horizon. But lately, she rarely had time to sleep, too busy at night to rest. Usually, she'd get her jobs on the days she didn't have to work during the day, but the company she was apart of had been busy lately; their plans starting to move forward, causing the employees to be swarmed in tasks that would swallow up any noobie.

At times, she herself, a highly respected employee, wanted to send in a resigning letter or scream at the top of her lungs that she had had enough; but she refrained, simply because she knew that she couldn't quit. There were chains holding her to the Association, chains that she had willingly locked herself into two years ago.

Those years had passed by without an incident, and she had enjoyed most of them, even at times laughing as she did her job; her comrades and partner fooling around or telling jokes as they completed the given task. It may seem sick if people ever witnessed what they did, but it was natural to them.

But of course, most of them were not right in their mind, having slight tendencies or emotional mood-swings. She was one of the later, moving from blissful happiness to full out rage in a split of a second. It happened often, but not many people were exposed to such a loss of composure. Her day partners always saw her as a calm, well-thought out person with strong opinions that they could count on to be honest and a loyal back-up, while at the same time they were witnessing her outer façade, she was falling apart at the seams. It took most of her strength to recover herself and rein in her un-controlled emotions that were flying about, pleading with her to let them go. She was a strong one, albeit a little crazy.

Hitting the accelerator, the young woman picked up speed, passing cars as she neatly dodged in-between them. This type of movement was difficult for a sports car, but somehow she accomplished it without hitting anyone as she cut them off, and then moved forward, switching gears easily and without pause.

The stoplight ahead went red, causing her to hit the breaks. As she slowly crawled to a stop, she ignored the looks of adoration people were giving her as they looked over her Mustang, silently envying her luck. Her car, Lucifeil, and her motorcycle, Lucifer were the only things she really splurged on, spending a pretty penny for each beautiful piece that created both running machines. She had gotten everything illegally customized by her underground friend who had stolen most of the parts. Each ride was made to her specifications then spruced up by the artist.

Remembering when she went to pick up her cars made her smile. Sasori had looked at her right in the eye and said without hesitation, "If you total these vehicles, I'm going to hunt you down and kick your ass, Sakura. This is art; eternal beauty that if destroyed, will not turn out well for you."

She had laughed then, but believed every word that escaped his pale lips. The red head didn't joke and she knew he was serious so she promised him that every month; she would bring each set of wheels in for a tune up. He had agreed then tossed over the keys to the giddy pink-head who gladly accepted them. That was just a year ago.

The light turned green, once again sending the sleek black machine into motion. It sped down the streets, making sharp, quick turns that were well controlled by the driver. Each turn brought her closer to her destination until finally she jerked the wheel into a parking lot, parking her baby in a single motion. The engine went off as she removed her keys, silencing the steady thrum. Grabbing her purse and jacket, she slipped out of her car, pressing the alarm and car lock buttons on her remote without thought. She didn't think anyone was stupid enough to steal a car parked at a police station, but she didn't want to take a chance.

Her heels clicked on the asphalt as she swung open the door to the station, stepping inside without pause and gracefully removing her sunglasses before smiling at the gapping cops. They seemed surprised, but for what reason she didn't care. Scanning her audience, she said in a soft voice that demanded authority, "Who is in charge of this case?"

Silence took over the area as the officers looked around. A group in the back continued conversing until one of the men turned and started making his way toward her. Sakura studied him closely, taking in the prominent features of the man she knew was Hatake Kakashi. The thin scar that ran across his left eye stood out against the pale color of his skin, making him look rugged and dangerous. Personally, she loved the bad boy look; it sent delicious waves of attraction up and down her spine, but with Kakashi, it just fit.

He paused a good five feet away from her in his white dress shirt and black pants, looking extremely imposing. She knew the look was meant to intimidate her, but she just smiled deciding to play it cool.

"Hatake Kakashi," she started, his name rolling off her tongue in an exuberant voice, "It's nice to finally make your acquaintance."

The mentioned man lifted a brow, but said nothing. Her name filled his mind, but he couldn't recall anything on her. This case was important, a top secret mission that only the best were assigned to. How could she be here if he hadn't read anything that stood out about her in her profile? It just didn't make any sense. Kakashi liked a mystery, but at this moment his mind was concentrating on the case; he didn't have time to untangle the thread that created the woman in front of him. He would just have to trust her, and see what would happen,

"And yours as well," he said finally, his only visible eye crinkling into a smile, "May I ask who you are?"

She knew he knew, but she just smiled back, thrusting her hand into the one he had just offered, giving it a firm shake before she replied, "Detective Haruno Sakura, at your service."

He nodded before directing his gaze back to the cops who were still watching, "Get back to work!"

They moved quickly to please, satisfying him.

"Sakura-san, please follow me to meet your team."

She nodded, before stepping behind him as he moved back toward the two men he was previously talking to before her arrival. As he stopped in front of them, she maneuvered her lean body to his right, revealing herself to her two supposed new teammates.

"Uchiha Sasuke, director of strategy," He said flatly, pointing to the dark haired man to her left, "Uzumaki Naruto, head of investigation."

The blond man smiled at her and Sakura found herself smiling back. He seemed to be friendly while the other just nodded politely before he stared off into space once again. She looked at him closely, swearing that he reminded her of someone.

Kakashi broke the moment by finally introducing her, "And this is Haruno Sakura, Expert on the Human Mind. I will be your supervisor. Our base will be set up in a little house to the west of here. You will report there daily. If anything comes up, do not hesitant to call me with the details or go to the base. I will be there until the end of the investigation. Any questions?"

Sakura shook her head.

"Good, dismissed."

He walked away briskly, not paying them a second glance. The headquarters would be set up soon, and then; when everything was established they would move in and talk about strategy. Sakura was excited, not just because she was part of such a big investigation but because she was so much deeper into it than anyone thought.

A feline grin slipped onto her lips before she regained control over herself. If she blew her cover, she would not only be arrested and sentenced for life, but the Association could be put at a great risk. That was not something the pink-head wanted.

Slipping back into the persona she had created for herself, Sakura retrieved her designated devices for the case. A cell phone, semi-automatic, and ear-piece were all placed on her person before she picked up the folder holding the information on the objectives. She flipped through it quickly, scanning over the photos, news clippings, and data that had been collected. She would look more closely later, when she was alone.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!"

The pinkette looked up from the folder, her emerald eyes searching for the source of the voice. When they landed on the waving Naruto, she unconsciously smiled again and started striding toward him, confidence coming off her in waves.

"Would you like to join the bastard and I for brunch?" He asked brightly, the blue in his eyes shining.

Sakura looked at the direction of his thumb which he was thrusting backwards toward their other partner. Calling someone a bastard, let alone an Uchiha made an amused smile spread over her painted lips. She figured they knew each other well enough for Sasuke to let Naruto off for calling him such a rude and vulgar name; maybe it was a nickname, she mused quietly, watching the two boys.

She knew that their relationship was something she would have to delve deeper into, along with their likes and dislikes weaknesses and strengths. Those key points would determine how the young woman would stay on top of them, without bringing on suspicion too quickly. Of course she knew it was coming, but the later the better. For now, she would get acquainted, asking questions that wouldn't seem overly personal and random knowledge. They were two high-end cops that would definitely know if they were being interrogated. Smiling at the challenge, Sakura accepted their offering graciously.

"I would love to join you two! Just let me drop my stuff off in the car!"

Naruto nodded cheekily, nudging Sasuke to follow her. The raven grunted but said naught a word. Sakura recognized the signs. He wasn't much of a talker; but that would change, she thought idly as they reached Lucifeil. Unlocking her "baby," the woman tossed in her belongings before activating the automatic roof, shutting it to the outside world.

"Wow, Sakura-chan! Nice ride!" Naruto said a smile on his lips. Sasuke just nodded and "hn'ed."

"Thanks," she replied winking before locking up and making a move for the car she figured was Naruto's. The blond continued to smile, following her to his vehicle.

Sasuke decided to drive, using the excuse that he was concentrating on the road to avoid chatting with his new partner. Sakura didn't mind, knowing that cracking Naruto would be easier, so she started simple conversation with him.

He talked continuously and without pause, letting out information about his relationship with Sasuke. It ended up that the two men had been friends since they were twelve, growing up in the same neighborhood, albeit on other sides. They weren't always close, Naruto had said retelling some of the more gory stories about their childhood. They used to play pranks on each other and made the other miserable, until finally it pushed them together. Sakura thought it was sweet and cute how the two befriended each other, but she kept that more personal comment to herself.

Naruto continued to ramble to her on and on about their adventures until he had to stop because the strawberry blonde just couldn't believe it.

"Really, Naruto-san?"

"Yeah! I swear it on my father's grave! The bastard burned himself when we were on our camping trip and that's why he has that funny scar on the back of his neck!"

"Sasuke-san, stop driving! I want to see!"

He cursed, flailing an arm back in a vain attempt to beat off the hands that were pulling on his collar. They were two blocks away from the restaurant, and yet his two _partners_ would rather risk all their lives than wait the few minutes it would take to get into the parking lot. Sending a punch into in to his best friend's jaw, the Uchiha grounded out between clenched teeth, "We're almost there."

Realizing this, Naruto refrained from complaining but instead rubbed his jaw, a scowl contorting his handsome features.

The pinkette smiled; a hint of malicious intention hidden behind it.

_Constructive Criticism is welcome!_


End file.
